Temps de lecture : 2 minutes

Drinking lots of water (I repeat, water), especially in hot weather, is the first good health reflex. But how can we reconcile the liters of water we consume with our thirst to protect the planet? Given the growing distrust of tap water (suspected of containing nitrates, pesticides, hormone residues, etc.) and the desire to avoid covering the planet with plastic bottles, the eco-citizen is faced with a complicated dilemma. What to drink without emptying your wallet and ruining your health? Filter jugs, osmosis water, bottled water, several solutions have appeared recently. Not necessarily useful or ecological. This is one of the points highlighted by the special edition of 60 million consumers, published in 2018.

Filtering carafes

To avoid having to carry water bottles on every run and to limit their plastic waste, many people invest in a filtering carafe.
How does it work? An activated carbon cartridge absorbs chlorine and organic residue.
The problem is that if you don’t want the filter to become a nest of microbes, you have to change it every four weeks for carafes and every three months for tap filters, as the special issue of 60 Millions de Consommateurs reminds us.

The other good idea is to change the water very regularly, at least every day, because “the filter neutralizes the chlorine that is supposed to protect the water from bacteria”, reminds Adeline Trégouët, deputy editor-in-chief of 60 millions de consommateurs.

Osmosis water: frauds and dangers

Recently, some people are equipping their homes with osmosis devices. These devices are placed under the sink to filter the water. Osmosis water can also be purchased “in bulk” in some health food stores, just like cereal. Anyone can bring their own container to fill with this totally pure water. Even too much. This water has undergone a process called reverse osmosis: after filtration, the water molecules pass through a membrane that retains pesticides, nitrates, lead… but also mineral salts. “If this highly filtered water is free of pollutants, it also deprives us of essential minerals, especially calcium and magnesium,” warns Adeline Trégouët. These contributions are even more fundamental for people who do not drink milk, are allergic or vegan.

Based on an exclusive analysis of several osmosis waters, 60 Millions de Consommateurs does not mince its words: “The consumption of osmosis water is not recommended because of the risk of mineral deficiency and the greater potential for bacterial contamination. Because the filters, badly cleaned, are a source of bacteria.

Another paradox: “This process is an ecological disaster. To obtain one liter of osmosis water, you need 3 to 7 liters of water because the membrane used as a filter is sprayed at high pressure,” says Adeline Trégouët. We let you do the math on the year’s worth of water wasted… And this hyperpure water also has its price: according to the magazine of the National Institute of Consumption, these devices to filter tap water can reach between 1,000 and 3,000 euros.